I'll Never Leave
by Romione4Life
Summary: Ron has to go on an Auror mission, and Hermione is finding it difficult to cope with him leaving her as she remembers the last time he left. (I know it's a bad title, I'll try to think of a better one later.)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I finally got an idea for a multi-chapter story! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I must not tell lies! I'm not J.K. Rowling, and I do not own any part of Harry Potter.  
**

"Ron!"

Ron Weasley jumped at the sound of his name. He turned toward the door to see his wife, Hermione, standing there.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Her gaze traveled down to the half-packed suitcase on the floor. She gasped, tears rapidly gathering in her eyes. "You're – you're leaving me!"

Ron suddenly realized how suspicious his actions seemed. "No!" he exclaimed. "No, Hermione! I'd never leave you!"

"Then what are you doing?" Hermione repeated. She tried to blink back her tears, but one managed to escape. Ron gently brushed it away with his thumb.

"I have to go on an Auror mission. We think we've discovered a small group of Death Eaters that went into hiding after Voldemort's defeat and was never caught."

"I'll come with you," Hermione said immediately.

"No, 'Mione. It could be dangerous," Ron said.

"So? I've faced danger before," Hermione argued.

"Yes, but I have Auror training now."

"Are you trying to say you don't think I have sufficient skills?"

"Of course not! Just… please stay behind. For me," Ron pleaded.

"I want to come, Ron!" Hermione said stubbornly.

"Hermione, you don't understand how hard this is for me! Obviously when we were looking for the Horcruxes I couldn't expect you to leave Harry, but I still hated being with you in those risky situations. I don't think you need to get involved this time. I'd never forgive myself if you came along and something happened to you because I would know that I could have avoided it."

"Well, I feel the same way!" Hermione said. "I'd be worried sick about you the entire time you were gone."

"Harry's going too. I'll always be with him. And we work really well together, you know. We'll be fine."

That didn't help much, Hermione thought. Not only was her husband chasing Death Eaters, but now her best friend was too?

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"I don't know exactly, but it won't be long," Ron answered.

Hermione bit her lip. Ron was clearly just as determined to make her stay as she was to go along with him. She supposed she could remain behind just this once.

"Okay. I'll stay," she said reluctantly.

Ron hugged her and gave her a kiss. "Good."

* * *

Hermione sat alone at a booth in the Leaky Cauldron, absentmindedly stirring a glass of butterbeer. She was so deep in thought that she was startled to hear a voice call her name. "Hey, Hermione!"

She looked up to see Neville Longbottom standing by her table. "Hi, Neville."

Neville studied her for a few seconds. "I was coming to see Hannah, but you look like you have a lot on your mind."

"Is it that obvious?" Hermione said.

"For one thing, you're stirring your drink with a fork," Neville said with a grin. Hermione blushed and took the fork out of her butterbeer as Neville slid onto the bench opposite her. "Want to talk about it?" he asked once he was settled.

"Neville, is there something wrong with me?" Hermione blurted out.

"Are you sure you want me to answer that?" Neville said. Hermione glared at him, and he quickly held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, sorry! I was joking! Honestly, though, there's nothing wrong with you, at least not that I've seen."

"But Ron's going away for a while to track down some Death Eaters who are on the loose and I'm letting him go without me. We haven't been separated since… Well, let's just say it's been a long time," Hermione said.

"That's all right," Neville said. "Ron can take care of himself. He's a strong fighter."

"Yes, but my mind can't help thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong. I've come up with dozens of what-ifs, ranging from 'What if he never comes back?' to 'What if he forgets to brush his teeth?' It's ridiculous."

Neville looked Hermione straight in the eye. "Look, I've known you and Ron for many years now. And I know that Ron loves you very much. You're one of the most important people if not the most important person in his life. So I believe I can say with confidence that he will do everything in his power to come home to you alive and well."

Hermione sighed. "You're right. I guess I'm overreacting. Thanks, Neville."

"Anytime," Neville said. "If you ever need to talk to me, I'll be here."

* * *

Despite Neville's reassurance, the day when Ron was leaving came much too soon for Hermione. She watched as he checked his suitcase one final time.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" she asked.

"Absolutely! I'll send you a letter every day if you want me to," Ron said. He kissed Hermione on the forehead and then realized her eyes were watery. "Why are you crying?" he said tenderly.

_"I get it. You choose him."_

_ Hermione was stunned by Ron's words. She couldn't believe he thought that was why she was staying behind. Didn't he know she was doing this because Harry was her friend, not because she was interested in him romantically?_

_ "Ron, no – please – come back, come back!" she called as Ron walked out of the tent. She hastily removed the Shield Charm she'd created between Harry and Ron and ran after him._

_ The rain poured from the sky, mixing with the tears streaming down her face. "Ron!" she yelled._

_ Ron spun around to face her, his expression a mixture of anger and hurt. "I said I get it, Hermione!" he said forcefully._

_ His tone of voice almost shocked Hermione into silence. "But you _don't_ get it!" she managed to say. "There's a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. I love Harry. I'm in love with you." She took a step closer to Ron. "You don't have to do this," she whispered._

_ "Yes, I do. Trust me," Ron said. "This is better for all of us."_

_ "Don't say that! You promised you'd never leave Harry!" Hermione said. "You promised you'd never leave _me_."_

_ "That was when we started," Ron said. "But things change."_

_ "Ron, please…" Hermione began, but Ron shook his head._

_ "You don't need to explain," he said. "I understand. You don't need me anymore."_

_ "Ron," Hermione said again, but he was already Disapparating, twisting away from her, leaving her standing alone in the downpour._

The memory flashed through Hermione's mind, but she quickly forced a smile. "No reason," she said. "You know how emotional I can get."

"Okay, if you're sure," Ron said uncertainly. He gave her another kiss, pressing his lips to hers. Hermione savored the moment, embracing Ron tightly. Maybe if she refused to let go, then he would have to stay.

Ron broke away and lifted Hermione's arms off of himself. "I love you," he said softly.

"I love you, too," Hermione replied. "I'll miss you."

"Not as much as I'll miss you," Ron said. He kissed her once more and then picked up his suitcase, preparing to leave. "I'll be back before you know it," he promised.

Hermione closed her eyes. She didn't want to watch him leave. She heard the loud crack that meant Ron had Disapparated, but even then she kept her eyes firmly shut. Perhaps she could trick herself into thinking that it was only a dream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I'm doing NaNoWriMo in November, which will probably take up much of my free time. I'll try to update this story as much as possible before then, but just so you know there will probably be long gaps in between updates soon. Thanks for your patience and for reading/reviewing/following/etc! Also, in case you can't tell, the section in italics is a flashback to the first night Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent in Grimmauld Place after leaving Bill and Fleur's wedding.  
**

They were staying in a tent, of all things. They were Aurors, skilled Dark wizard catchers, and they couldn't even get decent accommodations? Not to mention the fact that tents brought back horrible memories for Ron of searching for Horcruxes. The days of little progress – and little food. The seemingly endless hours of irritable moods from wearing the locket. The fight with Harry that had resulted in –

"Oh," Ron said aloud as a wave of homesickness swept over him. Now he understood.

"What is it?" Harry asked, plumping up the pillow on his cot with a flick of his wand.

"I only just realized why Hermione was so upset when I left. It's because she remembers the time I left her on the Horcrux hunt!" Ron sat down on his own cot and put his head in his hands. "She probably expected me to figure that out a lot sooner."

"She'll be fine," Harry said. "You came back before, didn't you? I'm sure she knows you'll come back this time, too." Was Ron imagining things, or was there a hint of uncertainty in Harry's voice?

"Even so, I think I should send her a letter to apologize," he said. "I promised her I'd write to her anyway, and I've learned from experience that you don't break a promise you make Hermione, especially when you've already broken one."

Ron reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. Carefully, he dipped the quill into the ink and then began to write.

_ Dear Hermione,_

_ I am so sorry I didn't know the reason why you didn't want me to leave. I finally understand now that you recalled the time I abandoned you during the Horcrux hunt. And I promised you that I would never leave you. I must have seemed so insensitive to you, but I swear I wasn't doing it on purpose._

_ Hermione, I'm going to be home as soon as I can. Please know that I just want you to be safe. You mean the world to me. We may be apart physically, but I'll always be with you in spirit. _

_ Anyway, I'm thinking about you every moment that I'm here. I miss you so much and I've barely been here an hour. _

_ This letter pretty much turned into one giant cliché, didn't it? Oh well. I hope it still makes you feel better. I love you._

_ Love,_

_ Ron_

Ron sealed the letter in an envelope and went to see if there was an owl to send it. He approached the Head Auror, Gawain Robards.

"Mr. Robards, sir," he said formally.

"What do you want, Weasley?" Robards barked. He didn't seem very happy – maybe he wasn't pleased with their lodging either.

Ron cleared his throat nervously. "I was wondering if there was an owl available to mail a letter home to my wife."

"There isn't," Robards said shortly.

"_What?_" Ron cried, gaping at the Head Auror. He'd assumed there would be a way to send and receive mail. Hermione would worry even more if she didn't hear from him.

"We don't have an owl," Robards said, speaking slowly as if he were talking to a two-year-old.

"Yes, I understand that, but… We can't have any contact with friends or family or _anybody?_" Ron said.

"We can't risk the letters being intercepted," Robards explained.

"I promised Hermione I'd write to her!" Ron persisted. "She's expecting this letter! And it's not like I told her any confidential information or anything."

"Sorry, Weasley," Robards said. "No exceptions. If we let one person send a letter, then we have to let everyone."

Ron turned and walked away angrily. His chances of survival had just decreased dramatically. Even if he managed to come out of this encounter with the Death Eaters alive, Hermione would murder him when he got home for sure.

* * *

_ Hermione laid awake on top of the sofa cushions on the floor. The full force of what they were planning to do had hit her. They were teenagers, and now they were out in the world by themselves chasing after objects they didn't know where to find to try to defeat the most powerful Dark wizard in the world._

_ She rolled over onto her side and was startled to see a pair of eyes staring up at her._

_ "You can't sleep?" Ron asked softly. Hermione shook her head before remembering that Ron probably couldn't see her, but he seemed to take her silence as an answer. "Me neither," he said._

_ "I'm scared," Hermione confessed. "This is all so overwhelming."_

_ "I know," Ron said. "There are so many questions. Where do we start? What are we going to face? What if we lose each other?"_

_ "Oh, please don't," Hermione said. "I can't bear to think about that!"_

_ "Sorry," Ron said quickly. "I didn't mean that. We'll be fine, Hermione. We'll find those Horcruxes, and we'll be just fine."_

_ "Easier said than done," Hermione said. "This could be really dangerous." _

_ "I'll be here for you. I'll help you through this," Ron vowed. He reached out and took Hermione's hand in his. She was slightly surprised but didn't pull away. After a few seconds, she gripped Ron's hand back._

_ "Don't let go," she begged. "Don't leave me."_

_ "I won't," Ron said firmly. "I never will."_

"No," Hermione whispered to herself. "He hasn't let go. He's coming back. He promised. He wouldn't break his promise. Not again."

_Then why hasn't he written to you? _a voice in her head wanted to know. _Why did he leave you in the first place? What if something happens?_

"No!" Hermione said again with more conviction. "He knows what he's doing. He'll be okay."

Why was she finding this so difficult? Ron had been gone less than 24 hours and she was already questioning why he hadn't sent her a letter yet. Hermione tried to remind herself of Neville's words: "_He will do everything in his power to come home to you alive and well._"

Hermione shook her head vigorously as if it would clear her mind. She needed to distract herself. She went over to her bookshelf and ran her fingers over the well-worn spines. A small smile formed on her lips as her hand wandered to _Hogwarts, A History_. She'd read it countless times, but it always provided comfort when she needed it.

Sliding the book from the shelf, Hermione took it over to the couch and curled up on the cozy seat. Soon she'd lost herself in its pages, all thoughts of Ron flying from her head.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm glad people seem to be liking this story, and I hope it isn't moving too slowly. Don't worry - I'm planning to hopefully write some action soon!**

* * *

_Dear Hermione,_

_ It's been a very quiet day. We've just been getting settled and trying to figure out a plan of attack. We're going to take it slow – tomorrow we're going to stake out the area where we believe the Death Eaters are hiding and try to find out what they're up to (thank goodness Fred and George invented Extendable Ears. Who would've thought their joke shop products would be useful to a bunch of professional Aurors?) Then I guess we'll see where we go from there._

_ I really wish you were here. Sometimes I think I should've just given in and let you come along with me. Then I remember that you're out of danger and I feel better. This is the best way to do things. I hope you see that now._

_ How are things at home? I bet you've read _Hogwarts, A History _twenty times already. Maybe thirty, knowing you. Honestly, you should try to have more variety in the books you choose._

_ That was a joke, Hermione._

_ Well, it's getting late, so I guess I should go. I need my strength for tomorrow – it's going to be a very demanding day! _

_ That was also a joke. Lighten up a bit, will you? You could at least pretend to laugh._

_ Love,_

_ Ron_

Ron sighed and slowly folded the letter. They could stop him from sending letters to Hermione, but they couldn't keep him from writing them. And he intended to write one every day until he got home, whether Hermione saw them or not.

He tucked the letter away with the other he'd written previously. He hoped that Hermione wouldn't be too upset when she realized she wouldn't be receiving any letters from him. She was a logical person, wasn't she? She'd be able to figure it out.

Ron pulled down the blankets on his cot and settled himself on top of it. How long had it been since he'd gone to bed without Hermione beside him? Through everything he'd experienced in his life, all the changes that had occurred over the years, she had been one of the few things that was constant. And now even she had been taken away from him.

_No, she wasn't taken away, _Ron reminded himself miserably. _You chose for this to happen. You have no one to blame but yourself._

Ron stared up at the roof of the tent. He was beginning to understand how Hermione must be feeling. She had trusted him when he probably didn't even deserve it in the first place, and once again he had broken her trust. He wouldn't be surprised if he got home to find that Hermione was gone.

* * *

Early the next morning, Hermione stirred in her sleep and slowly began to wake up. "Morning, Ron," she murmured automatically, expecting to hear a response. When she received none, she opened her eyes and looked at the empty space beside her.

_That's odd, _she thought to herself. _Ron's never awake this early on weekends, and when he is, he always waits for me to get up. _Then she smiled. Ron must be making breakfast to surprise her. He wasn't always this thoughtful, but Hermione loved it when he was.

She slid out of bed and walked to the kitchen. "Ron?" she called softly as she entered the room. She was greeted with silence.

That was when it hit her. Ron wasn't home. He was off fighting Death Eaters. And he still hadn't written to her.

Hermione slumped into a chair at the kitchen table. _I need help_, she thought unhappily. She considered going to talk to Neville, but soon dismissed the idea. She had to talk to someone who understood what she was going through. Someone like Ginny Weasley-Potter.

* * *

Once she had eaten something and gotten dressed, Hermione Apparated to the Potters' house. She knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later, Ginny opened the door.

"Merlin's beard, Hermione!" she exclaimed. "I'm glad to see you, of course, but it's only nine o'clock in the morning!"

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I just really need to talk to someone and I thought you'd be the best person," Hermione said.

Ginny looked concerned. "Come inside," she said, opening the door wider to let Hermione in. "Please be quiet, though, James is still sleeping," she added.

Hermione nodded and stepped lightly into the house. She followed Ginny over to the sofa and sat down beside her.

"All right, what's wrong?" Ginny said.

"It's Ron," Hermione began.

"What? Did he hurt you? Did he hurt _himself?_ What happened?" Ginny cried.

"No, he's fine," Hermione said hastily. "At least, I think he is. I wouldn't know. He hasn't written me a single letter since he's been gone."

"So? I haven't heard anything from Harry either," Ginny said.

"But Ron promised me he would write to me," Hermione said. "I'm worried about him. I hate being separated from him."

"Well, that's no big deal," Ginny said. "I know you're usually together, but you spend a lot of time apart, too. What's the difference?"

"The difference is that he's potentially in danger and I'm not there to be with him and protect him!" Hermione burst out. "How do you do it, Ginny? How do you stay calm while Harry is gone?"

Ginny put a finger to her lips and listened for a moment to make sure James hadn't woken up. Then she placed her hands gently on Hermione's shoulders. "I remind myself that Harry has a lot of training and experience. He knows how to handle almost any situation. He has plenty of other Aurors who are just as skilled as he is with him. And he defeated Lord Voldemort, for crying out loud! All of that is true for Ron also – well, except maybe the Voldemort part, but Ron has faced his fair share of danger before."

Hermione stared at her friend. Ginny had made some good points, but there was still something bothering her. "What about the lack of communication, though?" Hermione asked. "It would be nice to get even a short little note from Ron telling me that everything is fine and I shouldn't worry."

"I'm sure they're really busy doing whatever it is they're doing, and Ron will write you a letter as soon as he gets the chance," Ginny said reassuringly. "It's nothing to be alarmed about."

Hermione thought over what Ginny had told her. Looking back, it did seem a little silly to be so upset. "Ginny, you're a life saver. What would I do without you?"

"Oh, you'd manage somehow," Ginny said with a grin. "Now, I think you need something to do besides sitting at home by yourself. When James wakes up, we'll feed him breakfast and then go shopping. I could use some new dress robes. Sound like a plan?"

"Definitely," Hermione said, returning the smile. A distraction was exactly what she needed at the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I owe a HUGE apology to anyone who might have been following this story. I am so sorry I haven't updated in, what, almost three months now? I ran into some writer's block with this story, forgot about it for a while, came back to it and STILL had writer's block, then finally decided to scrap Plan A and go with Plan B. But enough excuses, on with the next chapter, which hopefully isn't too bad...**

"All right, men," Robards said solemnly. "Let's prepare for phase one of our operation."

"I don't understand why we can't just break into the building and arrest all the Death Eaters," Ron grumbled under his breath to Harry.

"First of all," Harry replied, "we need to make sure we have the correct building. Then we need a reason to break in – we can't barge in there without any justification."

"So arrest without justification isn't legal but eavesdropping is?" Ron said incredulously.

Harry began to answer, but he was cut off by Robards calling, "Potter! Do you have your invisibility cloak?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"Good. The rest of us will have to cast Disillusionment Charms – it's not as effective, but it's the best we can do."

Ron took out his wand and attempted the Disillusionment Charm on himself, but without success. He swore under his breath – he should be able to perform this spell effortlessly by now. "I wish Hermione was here right now. She wouldn't have any problems with this," he said to himself. He raised his voice. "Hey, Harry! Mind helping me out with this?"

"No problem," Harry said, aiming his wand at Ron. A moment later his body had seemingly vanished.

"Thanks mate," Ron said. "Let's go."

* * *

Hermione sat in the bedroom at home, trying to read. It wasn't working at all. She didn't even know what she was reading, having grabbed a book at random off of the shelf.

"Forget it," she said at last, closing the book and dropping it beside her. She was about to get up and go make herself a cup of tea when she heard a voice. A very familiar voice – _but it can't be, _she thought.

Hermione listened closely, and there it was again. _"I wish Hermione was here right now."_ It was Ron's voice, and it was coming out of a drawer of his bureau.

She rushed over to the bureau and yanked open the drawer. Ron's voice repeated its statement, and she finally realized where it was coming from.

"The Deluminator," she whispered. It was calling for her. It was going to take her to Ron; just as it had brought him back to her all those years ago on the Horcrux hunt. Why hadn't she thought of this sooner?

She lifted the Deluminator out of the drawer with a trembling hand and clicked it. A pulsing, glowing blue sphere appeared and floated in front of her. It seemed to be telling her to go with it. So this was what Ron had experienced when the Deluminator had spoken with her voice.

Hermione snatched up her wand. Almost simultaneously, the ball of light flew into her chest, causing her to gasp in surprise. It filled her with warmth that seemed to flow through her blood and spread to her extremities. And she knew she was supposed to Disapparate.

So she spun on the spot, twisting away from the house and landing in an unfamiliar place miles away. It was completely empty except for some sparse trees; there were no signs of civilization. _Well, what were you expecting to see?_ she asked herself. The Aurors would surely have some protective spells around themselves. They had to be here somewhere.

Hermione settled herself at the base of one of the trees to wait. She'd stay here as long as necessary until she saw someone. She had to know Ron was safe.

* * *

"Any luck?" Robards asked Ron and Harry as they trudged back into the tent.

"Nothing," Harry said, and Ron nodded in agreement.

"We'll have to try again tomorrow then," Robards said, but just then, another Auror came running in.

"It's them! It's the Death Eaters!" he panted. "I heard them, they mentioned the Dark Lord, and they said there were going to be moving soon!"

Robards frowned. "Did they say where they were moving to?"

"No," the Auror said. "We need to act now before it's too late!"

"Call an emergency meeting of all our men," Robards said abruptly. "Spread the word. Potter, Weasley, you go as well."

"Yes, sir," the three Aurors said. Harry and Ron exchanged glances before hurrying off in opposite directions to find their colleagues.

* * *

Hermione was beginning to grow anxious. There had been no sign of anyone, Auror or otherwise, for quite some time now. She didn't have a watch, but the sun was definitely much lower in the sky than it had been when she first arrived.

"Where are you, Ron?" she whispered. She held the Deluminator up to her ear, but it remained silent.

Suddenly, a large hand clamped over her mouth and a wand was pointed at her heart. She let out a muffled scream of terror.

"Hush!" a rough male voice commanded. Hermione instantly fell silent.

"Now, what would a woman like you be doing in a remote area such as this?" the voice continued. "Looking for someone named Ron? One of the Aurors, perhaps?"

Hermione was too startled to remain impassive. The man chuckled at her reaction. "Yes, we know they're here. We know they're after us. And if you're connected with them, then you could be _very_ useful to us."

He dropped his wand for just a moment to slip hers out of her pocket and then aimed it back at her. "_Incarcerous,_" he said. Ropes shot out of the end of his wand and wrapped around Hermione's body. "_Mobilicorpus._" Hermione whimpered as she floated up slightly into the air.

"Make any more noise and I swear, you'll be dead before you can draw your next breath," the man threatened.

Hermione closed her mouth tightly, silently cursing her idiocy. Why hadn't she told anyone she was leaving? Now no one would know she was here. No one could save her. And to make matters worse, she had foolishly put her husband and her best friend in more danger than they had already been in.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Well, this is it, the final chapter of the story! I don't think this story turned out exactly the way I was planning, but I guess it's still all right. Thank you all so much for the reads, reviews, favorites, and follows. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And if not, there's really nothing I can do about that, but thanks anyway for giving it a shot!**

* * *

"This is it, men," Robards said, looking around at the circle of Aurors. "Now, you know the plan. We're aiming to kidnap the Death Eaters to take them to Azkaban. Don't kill unless it is necessary. Understand?"

The Aurors nodded. "Good," Robards said. "Then let's not waste another moment."

Ron swallowed and tried to summon every last bit of his Gryffindor courage. Despite the fact that he was a well-trained fighter, battles still made him nervous, especially after what he has seen during the war.

"Just think of the fact that the quicker we take care of these Death Eaters, the quicker you'll be back home with Hermione," Harry murmured to Ron as if he could sense his anxiety. Ron nodded and pictured Hermione running to him and flinging her arms around him as she had the first time they'd kissed. The image helped to wash away some of his fear.

The group of Aurors made their way over to the Death Eaters' hideout. They drew their wands and waited with bated breath. "Stand back," Robards commanded. He aimed his wand at the door and prepared to blast it open – this was no time for formalities.

With a loud bang, the door burst open and the Aurors rushed in. They were met by several Death Eaters who began to shoot spells at them right away. Of course, Ron had been expecting them to fight, but they didn't seem the slightest bit surprised by the attack. He was confused, but tried not to let this get in his way. He quickly fired a Stunning spell at the nearest Death Eater and was soon locked in combat.

Before long, every Auror was dueling with a Death Eater, a few facing two at once due to the fact that they were slightly outnumbered. Then out of nowhere, someone yelled out, "STOP!"

The battle immediately ceased as everyone turned toward the source of the noise. One of the Death Eaters was pointing his wand at a young woman who was kneeling on the floor with her wrists bound. She turned her face up, and Ron felt like he had been punched in the gut.

It was Hermione.

She seemed to be terrified but otherwise unhurt, though it was hard to tell for sure. And her unexpected appearance was bringing back horrible memories…

* * *

_"STOP OR SHE DIES!"_

_Ron halted and spun to look at Bellatrix. What he saw made his teaspoon of an emotional range overflow with fury, hatred, and worry, for there she was, holding Hermione, pressing a knife against the girl's throat. At least Hermione wasn't dead. Yet. She could be soon if they didn't find a way out of here._

_"Drop your wands," Bellatrix ordered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"_

_Ron didn't move, reluctant to give up his one weapon that he could use to rescue Hermione. Bellatrix, however, wasn't going to back down either._

_"I said, drop them!" she repeated, and then the knife had cut into Hermione's throat and there was blood and Ron wanted to be sick. This wasn't how things were supposed to end. _

_ He and Harry dropped their wands as Harry said, "All right!" The two of them raised their hands in surrender, and Ron prepared himself for the worst..._

* * *

In that situation, everything had turned out fine, but this was different. There was no Dobby to save them this time.

"Get your filthy hands off my wife," Ron growled.

"Gladly," the Death Eater said with a smile. "On one condition: you let us go free. Continue to fight or try to arrest us, and she's dead."

The battle had reached a stalemate. Capturing the Death Eaters was essential, but even if they tried, there was a good chance one of them would kill Hermione before the Aurors could get to her.

"Don't listen to him, Ron," Hermione whispered. "Don't worry about me. I'm not worth it."

Ron's heart broke at Hermione's self-deprecating statement. She _was _worth it. She was worth everything he could give her and more. And that was why there was a third option here: resuming the battle while protecting Hermione. If that meant losing his life, then so be it.

"If you think we're going to give up that easily, you are sorely mistaken," Ron said dangerously. "_Petrificus Totalus!"_

The Death Eater fell to the floor, rigid as a board, and the others took this as their cue to keep fighting. Another Death Eater raised his wand and pointed it at Hermione.

"Move, Hermione!" Ron shouted as a green jet of light shot toward her. He lunged forward, pushing her out of the way and narrowly dodging the spell himself.

"Let me help," Hermione insisted as Ron pulled her off to the side.

"No," Ron said, speaking hastily. "I don't have time to untie you, and besides, you don't have a wand. Just stay out of the way. I'm going to go back out there, but I'll stay close in case you need me."

"Don't do anything reckless," Hermione said warningly.

"I won't," Ron said over his shoulder as he reentered the fray.

Hermione watched Ron carefully. She knew that he would die for her willingly because she'd do the same for him. But she was the one who had gotten them into this mess, and Ron shouldn't have to sacrifice himself because of her mistakes. If it came down to her life or Ron's, she was determined that Ron would be the one to come out alive.

"All right, Hermione?" Harry called to her, expertly jinxing a Death Eater.

"Yes, but be careful, Harry!" Hermione answered. Harry ducked to avoid a spell and gave her a thumbs-up. Hermione grinned back, but then sighed in frustration. If there was one thing she hated, it was sitting on the sidelines.

It appeared as though the Aurors were winning. Death Eaters were falling left and right. The battle felt like it was going on for hours, though it was probably less than one. Ron was rapidly growing tired, running on pure adrenaline. He cast spell after spell, stopping only to check that he wasn't trying to curse one of his own men.

Finally, _finally_, there was just a single Death Eater remaining. Harry sent a last Stunning spell at him and then sat down on the ground.

"We did it," he proclaimed.

Many of the other Aurors began making sure that the Death Eaters were secure and taking their wands. Ron, however, ran over to Hermione, untied her bonds, and started kissing her feverishly.

"You're safe!" he gasped in between kisses. "Did the Death Eaters hurt you at all?"

"No," Hermione answered, wrapping her arms around Ron.

"Why did you come here? _How_ did you come here? You shouldn't have done that!" Ron went on, continuing to kiss his wife. "You shouldn't have done that, Hermione!" He kissed her once more, letting it linger a little longer than the others.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said when they broke apart. "The Deluminator brought me here. I couldn't stay away from you any longer."

She left it at that, not wanting to have an intimate conversation surrounded by the Aurors. Luckily, Ron was thinking along the same lines.

"Let's go back to the tent," he suggested. "I think we could both use some rest. We can talk more there."

"Good idea," Hermione said, relieved.

Ron led Hermione back to their tent, taking down the protective spells as they were no longer necessary. Hermione sat on the edge of Ron's cot, and Ron knelt so they were at the same eye level.

"Look," Hermione said before Ron could speak. "Being away from you for a long time was only part of the reason why I came to find you. I was getting really worried because I hadn't received any letters from you. So when I heard the Deluminator calling me, I took the chance."

"I should have been more careful with that thing," Ron muttered to himself.

"You promised to write to me, Ron!" Hermione said, her voice rising. "Do you have any idea how upset I was?"

"There was no owl here," Ron explained. He turned and rummaged through his belongings as he talked. "I tried to write to you, truly I did, but there was no way to send the letters." He pulled out a sheaf of parchment and handed it to Hermione.

"What's this?" Hermione asked. She looked down at the paper on top of the stack and was shocked to see the words 'Dear Hermione' on it. "You still wrote the letters?" she said in disbelief.

"Every single day," Ron said. "Like you said, I made a promise. I've broken promises before, and I've learned that's never a good idea, so I told myself that I wasn't going to break any more."

Hermione was speechless. "Wow, Ron, I – I don't know what to say," she said. "This means a lot to me."

"You don't need to say anything," Ron replied. "Just swear to me that you'll never do this again."

Hermione smiled. "I promise."

* * *

**The Titanic-ish moment in there, in case you picked up on it, is for my friend. You know who you are. I hope I didn't disappoint you! And thanks again for reading!**


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